Always There As Protectors And Guardians
by GoldGuardian2418
Summary: When Samantha sees "Transformers: The Movie", she becomes upset at Optimus dying and runs off. Can Optimus find her and comfort her? Rated T for mention of death. Done as a request, so please, no flames.


**Sparkling Lover requested this one. Here you go, Amiga! Enjoy!**

**Samantha and Janet Jones belong to Sparkling Lover and Transformers belongs to Hasbro. Also, this story takes place a bit in the 80s when "Transformers: The Movie" came out, so this story has some G1 movie spoilers.**

* * *

**Always There As Protectors And Guardians**

"Samantha, sweetie, calm down," Janet Jones chuckled as she unsuccessfully tried to calm her excited daughter, but the little seven year old was too excited to calm down.

"I can't calm down! I'm too excited!" she giggled.

Janet laughed. "Alright," she chuckled again. "At least stop jumping around before you bump into someone."

Samantha obediently stood by her mother. They were waiting for the theater to open so they could go see "Transformers: The Movie." The autistic seven year old was excited to see her friends on the big silver screen and she also couldn't wait to go back to the ARK after the movie to tell the Autobots all about it.

Finally, the theater opened and Samantha and her mother followed the line of people inside. Buying their tickets and some popcorn, the little girl held her mother's hand as they went into the crowded theater and were surprised to see many children with their parents there too. They managed to find a good seat just in time for the previews to start.

But Janet would have never guessed what would happen only a short while into the movie.

* * *

Optimus was checking the computers for any Decepticon activity or disturbances when Teletraan-1 alerted him of an incoming call. "Alert! Call from Janet Jones! Alert!"

Optimus hit the receiving keys. "Hello, Janet," he said. "Is everything alright?"

Janet's teary face looked at his. "No, Optimus. It's not," she said.

The worried sound of her voice drew Ironhide, Prowl, Ratchet, Brawn, Windcharger, and Wheeljack from their duties to come see what she was worried about. "What's wrong, Mrs. Jones?" asked Ironhide in his southern-accented voice.

"Well, you know that Transformers movie that Samantha was so excited to see?" Janet asked. "Well, I'm afraid something happened in there that made Samantha and the other children very upset."

"What happened?" asked Wheeljack.

"Well, in the movie, the seven of you present died."

The seven Autobots were in shock. "What do you mean?" asked Prowl, trying to make sense of it and working on not having a processor crash.

Janet took a deep breath. "The six of you first died when the Decepticons attacked and when Optimus battled Megatron, he was very badly injured and died after giving the Matrix to Ultra Magnus," she said. "Samantha and the other children started to cry and leave with their parents, but when I turned to get Samantha to leave, she had already gotten up and ran out of the theater and into the street. I've searched everywhere and I can't find her."

Optimus stood silent for a moment before he lightly cleared his throat. "Don't worry, Janet. We'll find her. I and the others will immediately start a search party," he said.

"Oh, thank you," said Janet, relieved. "Is there anything I can do?"

Optimus nodded. "Ask if anyone has seen her, even the police. They might have spotted her. Let us know what they tell you."

Nodding, Janet immediately went to do so as Optimus turned to the six Autobots gathered behind him. "Men, we need to find Samantha. I'm worried that she may get hurt or lost if we don't find her," he said.

"Hopefully, she didn't go far," said Wheeljack. "The world's not exactly kind to a child with autism."

The others agreed, worried for the seven-year-old girl. Optimus sent a message to the others to keep alert and wait for them to return and received confirmations from the other Autobots. Once that was done, Optimus turned to his men.

"Autobots, roll out!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Samantha stumbled over the rocky ground as she struggled to climb and walk through the woods. Tears still streamed down her face as she tried to remember which way she had come from to go back to the theater to her mom or hopefully to one of the Autobots. The rocks dug into her clothes and made her small hands red and raw, making her cry as it hurt.

She then came to a large rock that was under a huge tree. Too tired to go on, Samantha climbed up the rock until she sat on the smooth top, hugging her knees to her chest and crying again in fear. She was hoping one of the Autobots would find her. She especially wanted Optimus, the Autobot leader whom she considered to be a surrogate father for her. "What if they don't find me?" she asked herself and then began crying again. "Daddy, help me," she sobbed out, repeating those three words as her tears didn't stop.

* * *

Cosmos was doing his patrolling through the skies when he happened to see Samantha sitting in the woods on a rock, crying. He immediately reported to Optimus.

"Cosmos to Optimus, I've found Samantha," he said.

The seven Autobots, who had been searching for a good hour, all gave a sigh of relief. "Where is she, Cosmos?" asked Prime, answering his com-link.

"I'll send you her coordinates."

After receiving them, Optimus successfully pinpointed the little girl's location. "Thank you, Cosmos," he said gratefully and turn to the others. "Autobots, you can go back to the ARK and tell everyone that we found Samantha."

"Do you think she's okay, Prime?" asked Brawn, surprising the others with his worry. He couldn't help it as, while he didn't admit it aloud, he did like Samantha and the thought of her being hurt and lost had him worried.

"I hope so," said Optimus. "Go to the ARK and wait there for us."

The six Autobots nodded and headed back as their leader moved towards Samantha's location and saw her in a few minutes. "Samantha," he called to her.

The little girl turned to that familiar voice with a gasp. "Daddy!" she said and jumped into his hand when he placed it near her, holding her in his hand as he brought her up to his face and she hugged his fingers, crying harder.

Seeing how upset she was, Optimus let her cry as he gently rubbed her back and head with one finger. It wasn't long before Samantha's tears stopped and she hiccupped a bit, still upset.

"Shh. I'm here, my little one," Prime whispered soothingly to her.

"Daddy," she said, her breath hitching as she tried to catch her breath. "You…you died. You, Prowl, Ratchet, Ironhide, Windcharger, Brawn, and Wheeljack. Your bodies turned grey."

"I didn't die, Samantha. I'm still here," he said to her. "That was only a movie, little one. It wasn't real."

"But it felt so real."

Optimus realized the reason this hit Samantha so hard was because her autism made her emotions much more sensitive and delicate. He now held her and gently hugged her back.

"Sometimes, some things seem real, little one," he said comfortingly. "But I promise you that I and the Autobots will always be here as protectors and guardians and will never die and leave you."

Samantha looked up at him with teary eyes. "You promise, Daddy?" she asked eagerly.

"I promise," he said in a firm, yet gentle tone as he wiped away her tears, making her smile a little. That was when Optimus noticed her hands and looked at them worriedly. "Are your hands hurt, little one?"

"Just a little," she admitted. "The rocks."

Thankful that her hands were only red and not cut, Optimus held her in a fatherly way and then decided to make Samantha smile again.

"Tickle time," he teased her in a singsong voice as he gently wiggled his finger into her stomach.

"HAHAHAHAHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!" Samantha burst into loud giggles and laughter as Optimus tickled her ticklish tummy. "Daddy, that tickles!"

Optimus only smiled as he continued to tickle his little daughter, her giggles filling the air before he stopped, letting her rest in the palm of his hand. "Come, little one. Your mother is worried."

Samantha didn't argue as she fell asleep in Optimus' cab as he drove to the ARK, where Janet was waiting with the Autobots. "Thank you for finding her," said the relieved mother as she took her sleeping daughter in her arms.

Optimus nodded. "Janet, you and Samantha can stay for tonight," he said.

Everyone went to sleep, relieved that their youngest charge was safe now.

* * *

The next morning, Optimus was talking to Ironhide and Ratchet. "Janet mentioned the other children," he said. "I believe they will need comfort as well."

"What do you suggest, Prime?" asked Ratchet.

"I'm not sure."

Ironhide gave it some thought and remembered a time when Spike, Sparkplug, and Bumblebee had gone camping. An idea hit him. "Prime, what about a camping trip? Or having the children come to the ARK? They could meet us and see that what the directors put in the movie wasn't true," he said.

Optimus gave a thoughtful hum. "Yes," he said. "I think that is a wonderful idea."

"There's plenty of room on the ARK," said Ratchet. "I think it's a good idea."

Later that day, Janet contacted the parents of the children who had seen the movie and they all came to the ARK to see the Autobots. The children were amazed at seeing the Autobots in person, as were the parents.

For one week, the families stayed at the ARK and the kids all went home on that Saturday, smiling and waving to the Autobots, who waved back and watched them head out. Samantha sat on Optimus' shoulder and watched with a smile. "Thanks, Daddy. I think the kids had a good time," she said.

"I believe you did as well," said Optimus, smiling at her.

"Yup!" she said brightly, nodding with a big grin.

All the Autobots smiled as they looked out to the horizon, thinking about the past week fondly. They had all reassured the children that no matter what some movie said, the Autobots would always be around as protectors and guardians.

And that was the truth.

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**Please leave a review, but no flames! If I see any flamers, their comments will be removed and reported!**

**GoldGuardian2418**


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